


A New Brother

by le_paquet_fou



Series: Growing Pains [4]
Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: First Meetings, Hopefully not too much, No Beta We Die Like Clones, Some angst, an ungodly amount of OCs purely to fill out the squad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:15:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25100764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/le_paquet_fou/pseuds/le_paquet_fou
Summary: My take on how Cody and Rex first met on Kamino.
Series: Growing Pains [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2130072
Comments: 9
Kudos: 78
Collections: AOJAOP Universe





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> All command cadets here are 6 y/o except Rex, who I headcanon to be half a year younger than all the others. So, Rex is baby compared to them.

It was standard procedure. Everyone in this batch knows the rules. If you make one minor infraction, you’re taken away and never seen from again. They knew their brother would be taken away at some point: mutations were warning signs for defectiveness. It didn’t matter that he always led the group, or that he followed all the rules up until now. He broke a rule, he didn’t do exactly as instructed in their most recent practice mission. Other brothers were taken from them before, and they never uttered a word. They let it happen. That’s the life of a CT unit.

So, it’s no surprise to them when they wake up and there’s one less member in their batch. Never mind that he seemed to be exactly what their trainers always wanted. Never mind that he was arguably the best of them. He broke a rule, and that’s how it went. Someone would replace him in the next rotation, and they would be fine. They wouldn’t admit that something was telling them this was wrong, that he didn’t deserve to be taken away. Good soldiers follow orders and don’t ask questions.


	2. Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jadek Squad gets a new member. Not everyone wants him there, but one of them cares enough to try talking to him and make him feel comfortable.

“What. The. Fuck.”

“Shut up, Quasi. Do you _want_ to get us in trouble?” A brother, Skips, asks.

“No, but I also want to know why in all nine hells Master Chief thinks she can replace Tryk so soon. Don’t you think it’s unfair?” That comment makes him go quiet and shrink a little in on himself. The others shoot a quick glare at Quasi.

“Come on Quasi, don’t be a jerk,” Cody says. “You know we just have to go along with this, even if we don’t want to.”

“It’s still not fair. No one can replace Tryk.” He drops onto the bench, his face scrunched up in frustration.

“We’re not saying he’ll be replaced. We’re just getting someone new,” Cody offers.

“As in, replacing Tryk.”

“No, it’s--”

“Kaminoan incoming, get up!” Fern hisses. Cody shoots up with the rest of his batchers and stands at attention when the Kaminoan walks in, casting her cold gaze over every single one of them.

“Cadets, as I’m sure you’ve already figured out, you will be getting a new recruit. I do not expect him to do well, but all other squads were filled, so I’m afraid you’ll have to make do with him. I will leave you with him for ten minutes, but then you all must report to training room 451. CT-7567, please come in.” She waves her long arm, fluid movements revealing something, or some _one_ , Cody never expected to see. All of them are silent, staring with wide eyes even a few seconds after the Kaminoan leaves.

“Oh my fucking gods…”

“Quasi!” Cody scolds, but he can already tell this will go nowhere.

“They gave us a fucking mutie! A CT mutie at that! They’ve either lost their minds or we’re screwed. Hells, Tryk should have never been taken, we’re all going to fail…”

“What… what do we _do_ with him?” Skips asks, his voice just barely above a whisper. “I mean, seriously. What are we supposed to do?” They look to him, but all Cody can manage is a shrug before casting his gaze back on the CT. He’s still standing at parade rest, arms folded neatly behind his back, as if waiting for commands.

“Do you think this is a test for us?” Myat asks. “I mean, come on, look at him. He’s clearly a reject.” Cody swears he catches the CT flinching ever so slightly at that.

“Hey, maybe we shouldn’t talk about him like he’s not here.”

“Why bother? Doesn’t seem like he wants to talk to us anyways, just waiting for someone to tell him to do something.” Cody presses his lips into a thin line.

“Well, they had to put him here for a reason. Maybe he just needs a gentle nudge in the right direction.”

“What are you doing?” Myat asks, voice low with warning, but Cody breaks off from his huddle of batchers before anyone can stop him. He approaches the CT, giving a warm smile. The CT eyes him warily, although there’s a set determination in his face rather than fear. It’s like he’s gauging the difficulty of the fight instead of whether or not there will be one.

“Hey, welcome to Jadek Squad. I’m CC-2224, but I call myself Cody. You?”

“CT-7567,” comes the short, curt answer. His batchmates look at him and the new squad member.

“Ah, well, we know that. I meant a name.”

“Don’t have one.”

“What? Why?”

“Don’t need one, and it’s against regs.” 7567 lets his eyes flicker briefly over all nine of them, not necessarily judging, but definitely investigating as much as he can,

“What are you gonna do, report us for having names?” Quasi asks. All of them shoot him a death glare.

“No. That would be idiotic. Since you’re CCs, you’d probably get away with a warning, and it would mark me as unable to adapt to different groups. There would be no benefit.” They exchange confused looks.

“So mechanical…” Skips whispers.

“He’s a droid. A reg droid, ha!”

“Quasi, come on, stop it,” Cody pleads. “Maybe he’s just scared. Are you scared, 7567?” He pauses, and Cody can see his face scrunch up just a little as he thinks over his response.

“No. In unfamiliar territory, but not scared.”

“And why the hell did they choose you, out of all other CCs and CTs?” Quasi asks, narrowing his eyes as he picks apart 7567. Cody can’t help but feel bad for the new brother.

“Quasi! For gods’ sake, shut up and stop being such an ass!” Nova yells.

“Uh, I think time’s up. Suit up and go to training, yeah?” Fern says, desperate to try and cut the tension brewing in the room. Silent glances and nods follow, and they get their gear from their personal boxes. Cody slides one over to 7567, who takes it without saying a word.

He feels like he’s weighed down by the stress in the room, and wishes he could leap up and cut it away. If he’s going to be a commander, which he knows he will be one day despite what Master Chief says, then shouldn’t he always know how to improve morale? Shouldn’t this be something he can fix?

“Hey, Cody. Nice try with the CT.”

“What?” His brothers are around him now, kind and smiling, except for Quasi who’s still glaring daggers at 7567.

“Well, I mean, trying to get him to talk with us. I think he’s just someone who keeps to himself and the regs. Not really a people person, kinda rude if you ask me. Nice of you to try, though.” Fern says.

“I dunno. I think I can get to him.” Fern raises an eyebrow, casting him a question glance.

“Really?”

“He seems very set in his ways,” Skips states.

“Yeah, but I bet I could get him to talk to us more than through us asking him questions.” Cody won’t say it out loud, but he’s also dying with curiosity. The others might call him a droid, but Cody can just _feel_ that there’s something different about him, something special, and he wants more than anything to get to know him. 

“Maybe. Don’t get your hopes up too high, though.”

“Quit worrying. Everything’ll be fine.” Myat shrugs as he heads towards the door. They all line up as they walk out, Cody making sure he’s next to 7567. His face is blank, focused solely on what’s ahead of him and whatever the training will be. Cody makes his move.

“You seem very professional. You must be really dedicated to the regs.”

“We shouldn’t be talking.”

“No one will catch us. You can relax a bit.” 7567’s eyes flick to Cody for a second, and he catches a glimpse of doubt in them.

“I didn’t get here by blatantly disregarding the rules.”

“I’d imagine not. But, for all intents and purposes, you’re a CC now, like the rest of us.” 7567 doesn’t reply, but Cody swears he can see him thinking it over. “What was the training like for you before? It had to have been different.” He can hear Quasi scoff as he asks the question. He ignores that, though, when he sees the brief surprise on 7567’s face at the question, like he wasn’t expecting Cody to express interest in him. It goes away as quickly as it appeared, but Cody saw it.

“Drills, flash training, and target practice, all as stated in the regulation manuals.”

“You really like the regs, huh?”

“Quit talking you two, we’re here.” 7567 goes rigid, and Cody silently curses. At who he’s not sure, but he stops talking and halts at parade rest. Their instructor walks in and briefly glances at 7567 before addressing the group.

“I see you have a new member in your ranks. This should make the course easier. Your goal is simple: break through enemy lines and destroy their base to render them useless. CC-4983, you will lead the group.”

“Yes sir,” Fern replies. Cody can already see him tense up; Fern is a good man, but his strategies are… well, he doesn’t want to be rude, but they don’t often work. It’s not for lack of trying, he knows, but the unhappy fact still remains.

When the instructor leaves, they group up and let Fern lead the discussion. 7567 is distant for all of it, gazing out at the course instead of listening to what they have to say. Cody gives him a gentle nudge and tips his head towards the others, hoping he’ll understand and join in. Cold, guarded eyes meet his, but 7567 shifts to face them. A small victory, but Cody is ecstatic.

“So, Myat and Quasi will provide cover for us as we go through. Skips, Pinball, you’ll be our snipers. See the ridges over there, on either side of the field? You’ll set up there and pick off any droids we can’t get or don’t notice.”

“Got it.”

“Tripwire, you’ll go ahead, scout out the areas ahead of us. Stay hidden, and focus on not getting shot. The rest of us will form up a squad and push through. Remember to use the cover to our advantage; we can’t get caught out in the open and risk this.”

“Uh, shouldn’t Steel give cover, instead of Myat?” Pinball asks. “I mean, he’s good at it.”

“I’m giving Myat a chance. I think he’ll do just fine.”

“But--”

“Relax, Pin. We’ll do fine,” Nova says, a bright smile on his face as he claps Pinball on the back.

“Only cause I’ll be up there saving your asses.”

“Probably.”

“Enough chatter. Get your weapons and get into position.” Despite the command, small conversations break out as they fall out of the group and head towards the weapon rack. Steel runs ahead, reaching for a Z-6 before getting his hand smacked by Pinball. Friendly bickering rises up as they grab their weapons, everyone jittery with nervous energy. All except 7567, who stays at the back of the group and waits patiently for the others to take their pick.

When he does go up to the rack, he pauses before taking a pistol in uncertain hands. He turns it over, switches the settings, and fiddles with the cartridge before reaching for the second in the pair.

“You good with those?” Nova asks. Most of them, except Quasi and Myat, huddle closer to hear the answer. 7567 doesn’t look up from the blasters when he does reply.

“Never seen these in my life. I want to try them.” A scoff comes from Myat, and the others immediately descend on him for being so rude. Cody is almost with them, but he catches 7567’s gaze for a second and stops dead in his tracks. There’s a sadness in them, a dejectedness that Cody is sure he didn’t want to let slip but couldn’t help. He looks to his brothers, watches them argue with each other, catches snippets of their brutal fight:

“For the love of- why the fuck are you two like this? What did the new guy do to you?”

“Why are you so okay with there being a new guy? There shouldn’t be a ‘new guy’. Tryk should still be here, he should’ve never been taken. But the Kaminoans don’t care, do they? They got a fucking _mutie_ , a _reject_ , and expect him to replace Tryk.”

“That’s what this is about?”

“You can’t change the past-”

“I don’t fucking care! You know, I bet they brought him here to die anyways. Don’t bother getting attached to that droid.”

Cody can’t help flinching when he hears that. He glances back at 7567; nothing’s changed. He’s still staring at the pistols laying heavy in his hands, not flinching or shifting or showing any sort of reaction to what Quasi said.

He knows Quasi is in pain. He knows he should help him through the loss, but looking at the frozen figure so close to him, he also knows that Quasi has seven other brothers who care about him. Quasi won’t have to bear this alone. Cody knows this, and he doesn’t feel bad when he turns to go by the new brother’s side.

“They didn’t let you train with pistols before?” 7567 looks up, startled, but composes himself in the blink of an eye.

“No. We only trained with a DC-15S and DC-15A.”

“Really? That’s it?”

“They said we could train with more when we turn six. They do that with all CT cadets.”

“Wait, how old are--”

“Hey, new guy, you sticking with the pistols?” Pin calls out, breaking their conversation. Now Cody knows who he’s silently cursing out when 7567 gives a curt nod and joins the others as much as he can. “Come on, Cody, time to go.”

“Yeah yeah.” He mutters curses as he pulls on the helmet, sticking close to 7567 and keeping an eye on the shaky form of Fern. They wait tensely behind the energy field, and for a second Cody swears he sees 7567 shaking as well. It’s only for a second, and then the field falls and they’re sprinting through blaster fire.


	3. Part 2

Cody cringes as two more screams ring out. Curses start flying through the comms as Myat and Quasi start yelling and blaming each other. Fern shrinks against Nova as he watches his plan fall apart, and the others are dead quiet.

Tripwire was caught early on, easily encircled in the open field. Skips tripped on the way to his post, falling to the mercy of the droids. And now Quasi and Myat are down. Their cover fire, their eyes on the field, they’re gone.

Nervous hands fidget as blaster bolts graze the top of the small piece of shelter they found. The far off argument quiets down to let a suffocating silence thunder in their ears. Nobody dares to speak or move, fear getting the better of them and seeping into their bones.

Cody knows he could come up with something, but not being able to look above the barrier limits him in a way he can’t handle. An injury, a smaller team, he can work with that, but a lack of information? What is he supposed to do if he doesn’t even know half of what’s going on? It’s infuriating, like a little bug constantly buzzing around him that he can’t swat.

A tap on his shoulder pulls him from his thoughts, something he’s quietly grateful for. He turns and expects to see Nova or Fern, but he’s instead greeted by the new cadet. The determination is in his eyes again, despite him being curled up smaller than the rest of them. Cody would jump and cheer at the fact that 7567 is talking if they weren’t in the middle of a training course.

“I have an idea,” he whispers, off comms. Cody hops off them as well and moves a little closer, hoping he isn’t intruding too much on personal space.

“What?”

“The ridges. They run along the edges all the way to the base. It’ll be a sprint across open territory, but once we get to them, we’ll be relatively safe. We’ll need to make our way quickly to the base, drop in from behind, and destroy the power core. We should be able to fight our way in considering they won’t expect an attack from the back. It’ll be the best way to complete the course.”

“You’re kidding. 67-- can I call you that?”

“Batchmates did.”

“Okay, 67. I don’t mean to be rude, but that plan is crazy. You’re saying we run out of cover,  _ into open fire _ , and then pray that we don’t get shot? Then what, hope that the back isn’t guarded? Do you think that we’ll have an easy time going into the base?”

“We just need to get to the ridges fast.  _ Very _ fast. The hard part is getting to the base, but once we’re there it’s easy. We’ll be able to take on the droids there.”

“Your plan is suicide!” Cody hisses. “We don’t know how many droids are out there, or how many are close enough to get us, not to mention how guarded the base is or how to even get in.”

“It’s a risk we have to take.”

“Absolutely not!”

“Do you have a better idea?” Cody falls silent. He wants to say yes, of course he has a better idea, but he knows he doesn’t. Every plan they come up with, everything they do, it’s all variations of the same thing. And 67’s plan, with the information they have, it’s not half bad. Not what they’re used to, but maybe that’s the reason they brought him here.

“Alright. Let’s do it. Go on comms, tell the others. We don’t have a lot of time.” 67 Gives a small nod, and it’s probably Cody’s mind playing tricks on him, but he swears he can see him smile ever so faintly.

He turns comms back on, the familiar static of silence wrapping around him. 67’s voice sounds tinny when he starts speaking, and Cody can already hear the barrage of comments that’s going to get from Myat and Quasi later, but he pushes that out of his mind for now. Instead he focuses on 67’s surprisingly even voice, refusing to waver even through the odd looks and whispers thrown around and at him. Cody has to admit that he’s impressed by his stubbornness and bravery. He hasn’t seen anyone like that, not even read about them in their classes.

What makes Cody even more amazed is that he manages to convince the others to use his plan. They don’t eagerly jump to follow it, but after a few answered questions and careful glances towards Cody, they start to shuffle and get to their feet. The group takes reluctant steps towards the edge of the barrier and grow tense as they wait for the right time to move.

“Now!” 67 takes off, Cody and the rest not far behind. The blaster fire sings as it flies past them, leaving behind a trail of curses as they do their best to not get hit. Once at the bottom of the ridge, they start scrambling up the side, still actively dodging the blaster bolts until they can hoist themselves over the edge and fall gracelessly into the little dip.

After Nova falls in, the last of them to do so, they huddle together. Adrenaline buzzes through Cody’s veins, his arms and legs shaking. He counts and recounts his brothers, and all the ones that were still up before their dash in open fire are still there. They made it! He can hardly believe it, but the evidence is right in front of him.

He moves over to 67, who’s gazing down at the field below, and puts a hand on his shoulder. He flinches and whips around, but the tension eases out of his shoulders ever so slightly when he sees Cody.

“Mind if I join you?” There’s no response at first, but 67 shifts over and makes room for Cody to take a seat next to him. Cody smiles softly when he sits down, looking over the faux rock formation and into the valley. Droids are everywhere, scanning the area and looking up to find them, but to no avail.

He can’t help but wonder what would have happened if they stay put, if they came up with a different plan. Would they still all be able to fight, or would Pinball be stuck up here by himself with nothing to do but sabotage himself? He shouldn’t have been so quick to try and shut down 67’s idea. For all he knows, they would have already failed. Now they have a fighting chance.

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?” For what? For being an ass, that’s what.

“For not believing in your plan at first. Not believing in  _ you _ , really.”

“You’re not the first.”

“It shouldn’t be like that. You’re a brother, just like me, just like everyone else in this squad. I shouldn’t cast aside an idea because I doubt it, and you shouldn’t have to put up with others constantly questioning you and anything you say. That’s not fair, and it’s definitely not how brothers treat each other. So, I’m sorry.”

The silence that stretches between them is much longer than Cody would like. He can’t help fidgeting with his hands, guilt starting to seep into him. He really shouldn’t have yelled. Well, yell-whispered. Whatever it was that he did, he shouldn’t have done it. 67 didn’t deserve that, he’s probably just as stressed and worried as the rest of them.

“It’s alright. Judgement of plans isn’t the same as judgement of a person; I’ve learned to tell the difference. Besides, you seem to be the only one right now that believes in me. And… I’m thankful for that.”

Cody is speechless. He hardly expected forgiveness, much less such a display of trust so early on from someone so guarded. A warm fuzzy feeling starts to spread through him, making his brain short-circuit and refuse to give him a coherent thought. He opens his mouth to talk, hoping he can at least get a garbled sound out, but nothing. He tries again, and is happy to at least get results, even if it’s… not very elegant.

“I-- I mean, no problem. Or, uh, of course! I, uh…, it’s, I mean…”

“Words are complicated, right?”

“Yeah…” And there’s a smile. No trick of his imagination or twitch of lips, but a genuine smile. It’s tiny and seems a lot more nervous than content, but it’s there. 67 smiled, and Cody was allowed to see it. He’ll treasure it, and guard it with his life.

“Are we gonna head out now?” Steel calls. Cody gives 67 a gentle nudge and an encouraging smile.

“You’re in charge of this one,” he whispers. 67 nods and pulls himself up from his crouched posture, assuming the confidence of someone who’s led others countless times before. Cody beams, pride swelling in his chest even though he can’t pinpoint why.

“Yeah, we’re going. Not much left to do to pass, no point dragging it out.” Mumbles of agreement echo through the comms as they get up, and soon enough they’re all walking along the edge of the course towards the base.

It doesn’t take long. The edges of the ridge raise as they continue down the uneven path, creating a solid barrier between them and the droids below. The only danger they have to worry about for a few minutes is tripping over a stray stone, which is much more manageable than a stray blaster bolt. Once they’re there, it’s a different story.

67 was right about there being a back entrance. He wasn’t right, however, about how guarded it would be. Two B2s are on either side of the entrance, with more undoubtedly inside. They don’t have any grenades or droid poppers, and without all of their squad, they can’t force their way in. They’re stuck. Again.

“What now?” Fern asks. They all turn to 67. Shock flashes across his face for a fraction of a second before he regains his composure and looks back out to the base.

“Give me a minute, I’ll think of something.” Cody can’t help the pit in his stomach from forming as he watches 67 slowly peer around the edge, exposing himself more and more. Seconds stretch into minutes, minutes to hours, and he’s sure he’s just about to explode from the anxiety before a shot is fired and 67 whips back around into cover.

“You have a plan?” Nova asks.

“Yeah. They have side entrances, only B1s guarding it. The sniper, Pinball, right? You can shoot them down if you go back up the ridge a bit. There’s only two, and if you’re quick, there shouldn’t be an issue. The rest of us can sneak past those B2s, get in, and shoot the core.”

“And any droids in the way?”

“We deal with them.” There are no objections. Pinball scurries back up the ridge and sets up his rifle. 67 gives the signal, and two blue bolts streak through the air. After a tense pause and blissful silence, they start to sneak around the corner. Wary eyes are kept on the massive B2s, Cody’s pulse pounding in his ears as he passes by them. The adrenaline kicks back in again, making him shake uncontrollably until they reach the side door with two downed B1s.

67 is the first to enter, the others following nervously with their blasters ready. The hall is eerily empty, their footsteps echoing along the metal walls. Fern jumps at his own shadow more than once, but nobody says anything as they continue on.

They stop short of the entrance to the electrical room, nearly bumping into each other. Annoyed grumbles start to wash across the room, but 67 silences them and points to the open door. Of course they couldn’t have it easy.

“It’s  _ swarming _ with droids.”

“Is this where we ‘deal with them’?” Cody asks. 67 nods, and Cody grins. “You saw him. Let’s go in and raise hell for those clankers.” Cartridges click into place, and with one final nod, they burst into the room. Blaster bolts fly through the air, red and blue mingling for a brief moment before flying off and hitting walls. There’s a yelp as Fern goes down, another as Nova crashes into two droids and brings them down with him. Then the red bolts stop, the room lights up in green, and a voice comes on over the speaker.

“Course complete. Report back to starting area immediately.” The cheers only last for a few seconds, but in that time they manage to grow to the point of leaving Cody’s ears ringing. Laughs and smiles are shared as they help each other up and file out of the base. Pinball joins them as soon as they step out of the base, immediately chattering to Nova and Steel about their victory.

The way back seems much shorter now. Maybe it’s because they’re not fighting for their life, or maybe it’s the familiar conversations that are allowed to take the space of blaster bolts and tense silence. Whatever it is, it makes the trip feel lighter, better even.

Tripwire, Skips, Myat, and Quasi are already waiting at attention when they arrive. The line breaks and questions are quietly called out, answers following soon afterwards. Fascination lights up in their eyes as stories from the course are shared, congratulations are given, and even Myat and Quasi manage to snap out of their bad mood for a moment to join in the small celebration.

“At attention, cadets.”

“Yes sir!” they shout in unison. Together, they step in line, backs straight and arms folded neatly behind their backs as they look dead ahead. The smiles are wiped off of their faces, but their mood is much harder to dismiss with a command.

“You’ve done surprisingly well today, cadets. I must say, I’m impressed. Adapting your plans to new situations isn’t the easiest skill, but you’ve done well. Some work is needed, of course; reckless plans shouldn’t become your new default. That being said, well done. Now go get changed, mess is in fifteen minutes.”

“Yes sir!” They salute, and once the instructor turns leaves, they break out of their lines and head back to the barracks. Whispers pop up every now and again, and a few glances are tossed at 67. He tenses up at the looks, but doesn’t do or say anything in return. Cody slows down until he’s at 67’s side, offering a friendly presence in the sterile white halls and echoing whispers that he’s undoubtedly taking the wrong way.

The whispers explode into loud chatter as soon as they’re in the barracks. The armour clatters down onto the ground and into the storage crates, adding to the symphony of sounds enveloping them. It’s comforting, even if he’s tempted to curl up and hide from the loudness of it.

Cody puts the last plate of armour down as he watches his brothers practically leap over each other in a not so subtle challenge for a race to the mess hall. Laughter echoes in the room, slowly fading as they bound down the halls. Only Skips pauses for a moment to look back.

“Hey Cody, you gonna join us?”

“In a minute. Gotta put this stuff away.”

“Alright. See ya!” Skips disappears down the hallway, chasing after his brothers. Cody smiles as he puts the crate in his storage locker, but instead of running after his brothers, he sits on a bench and waits for 67.

He’s very deliberate and precise in everything he does. Every movement he makes has a purpose, and he makes sure it’s done right. The armour is neatly stacked, the crate carefully placed in the locker, and every step he takes seems calculated. Cody doesn’t understand it, but he realises quickly that he probably never will. And in all honesty, he’s alright with that. Not everything is a battle strategy that needs to be completely understood.

“You did great today,” Cody says as he stands up, readily going to 67’s side again. “I mean it. I don’t think we could have passed without you.”

“Maybe. But you  _ are _ CC cadets. You would have figured something out.”

“Hey, none of that. You helped. A lot. And you’re here now, so you might as well be one of us. And… I’m glad you’re here. I don’t know why they put you up here with us, but I’m really happy it happened.”

“Are you serious?” The doubt in 67’s eyes kills Cody. He wants to wrap him up in a hug and never let go, but that probably wouldn’t be the best idea right now. He doesn’t want to accidentally push 67 away when he just got him to talk to him.

“Of course I am. You’re my brother now, 67. Little brother, if I had to take a guess. You’re younger, right?”

“Five months. That’s what the Kaminoans said.”

“Stars, you’re a baby. That’s it, you’re mine now. My little baby brother.”

“Stop.”

“Alright, fine. But, I meant what I said… about you being my brother that is. I dunno if you see me as that yet, but hopefully one day you do. Either way, I’ll always be by your side, I promise.”

“Really?”

“Really.” The smile comes back, and Cody feels like his heart is melting. He puts all of his energy into not knocking over 67 in a bone-crushing hug, and manages to limit himself to a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Come on, let’s go. The food will only get worse the longer we wait.”

He gently nudges 67 forwards, and they fall in step as they walk down the halls. He hardly hears it as he loudly complains about getting a name for 67, but there’s a small whisper in the hallway meant only for him that brings a smile to his face.

“Thank you, Cody.”

_ Of course, my little brother, dear brother _ .


End file.
